NHTSA

One senator calls the vehicles 'deathtraps'

(Newser) -
The US government is urging owners of 313,000 older Hondas and Acuras to stop driving them and get them repaired after new tests found that their Takata air bag inflators are extremely dangerous, the AP reports. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that it has data showing...
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It failed to report accidents, injuries to government

(Newser) -
The Obama administration is fining Honda $70 million—the largest civil penalty levied against an automaker—for not reporting to regulators some 1,729 complaints that its vehicles caused deaths and injuries, and for not reporting warranty claims. The Japanese automaker acknowledged in November that it failed to report the...
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And GM declined to fix it because it would be too expensive

(Newser) -
Federal regulators twice ignored complaints about the Chevy Cobalt defect that has killed hundreds of people , congressional investigators alleged yesterday, and General Motors not only knew about the flaw , but nixed several fixes because they'd be too expensive, the Wall Street Journal reports. A breakdown of each allegation:

Electric vehicle fares better than any in history of NHTSA testing

(Newser) -
Just how well did the Tesla Model S do in government safety tests? The highest score a car can get is 5 stars. The Model S got 5.4. "Yes," writes Travis Okulski at Jalopnik . "It broke the scale." In fact, the electric car did better...
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Automaker reverses itself on fire risk

(Newser) -
Chrysler avoided a showdown with government safety regulators today, agreeing to recall 2.7 million older Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs that could be at risk of a fuel tank fire. Earlier this month, the company defiantly refused the government's request to recall the Jeeps. But Chrysler now...
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Automaker owes max allowed over floor mats

(Newser) -
The US government has slapped Toyota with a record $17.4 million fine for failing once again to quickly report problems to federal regulators and for delaying a safety recall. The fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the maximum allowed by law. It's the fourth fine...
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All-weather mats may trap accelerator pedal

(Newser) -
Another automaker is under investigation for possible floor mat trouble. This time it's Ford, the subject of an NHTSA inquiry into its Fusion and Mercury Milan models. The agency has received complaints that the automaker's rubber, all-weather mats could trap accelerator pedals, reports the Detroit Free Press . Unlike previous incidents...
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But automaker won't admit hiding defects from feds

(Newser) -
Toyota is expected to agree today to pay a record $16.4 million US fine after a 4-month delay in reporting the "sticky pedal" defect that led to a massive recall. Toyota has decided not to challenge the government penalty, but will not admit it knowingly hid evidence of...
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(Newser) -
Investigators have not been able to replicate the incident of uncontrolled acceleration a Prius driver says he experienced last week, and the condition of the car's brakes is raising suspicions with federal investigators and Toyota engineers, the Wall Street Journal reports. James Sikes said he lost control of his car...
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Total complaints grow by 1,000 in one week

(Newser) -
Complaints of deaths connected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles has surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll since 2000 reaching 34, according to new data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the government typically receives a surge in complaints following a recall, reports about...
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Former NHTSA officials helped end four probes into accelerators

(Newser) -
Two former employees of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration helped Toyota end at least four investigations into issues with its accelerators, according to court and government documents. Toyota’s VP of regulatory affairs, Christopher Tinto, and one of his subordinates, Christopher Santucci, came to the automaker directly from the...
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Automaker's woes keep mounting; $2B pricetag likely

(Newser) -
Toyota has yet to decide whether to issue a recall of Prius hybrids over potential trouble with the car's brakes, but it's just the latest snag to hit the automaker. The company acknowledged yesterday that the brakes can stick briefly in certain circumstances, generally on bumpy or slippery roads, reports...
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Matter isn't closed, says NHTSA

(Newser) -
Federal safety officials have criticized Toyota for trying to play down mechanical concerns over their "runaway cars.” Though victims and media reports have suggested that computer malfunctions or pedal design flaws are to blame in several incidents in which cars uncontrollably accelerated, Toyota says oversize floor mats are...
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Owners suing Toyota over expensive repair

(Newser) -
Toyota’s Prius, now in its third generation, remains the dominant hybrid car. But an increasing number of older Prius owners are finding that the autos have a potentially dangerous flaw—failing headlights. What's worse, the so-called high-intensity discharge lamps, which are optional ugrades, can cost more than $1,000...
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Cruise-control fires start even with engines off

(Newser) -
Ford is recalling 3.6 million vehicles with cruise-control switches that have caused fires even with the engine off, CNN reports. The company recently settled a lawsuit in the death of a woman killed in her home after her husband said their Ford pickup burst into flames in the garage.
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